Wednesday, April 17, 2013

GOP Senators Put NRA Dollars over 91% of American People on Gun Control

What happened to the Constitution when a Senate rule requires 60 votes to pass normal legislation so the minority can keep anything from being approved including nominees with 41 votes.
NRA bought and paid for Senators struck again when it comes to gun control. How could they even look at those Newtown parents who were watching as the GOP was celebrating their victory shows such a lack of empathy that it makes me ill that I have been a Republican for years. These elected Senators I thought I knew, I don't. The Republican Party is dead to me tonight after this disgusting vote this afternoon against closing the loopholes at gun shows. That means if you are a felon, go to your nearest gun show, buy a gun from a private person for cash, and walk out the door. If are under care of a psychiatrist no problem - go buy a gun.

President Obama this afternoon blasted the Senate after 45 voted against a bi-partisan background bill that closed loopholes was defeated because it didn't get a Super Majority:

Like many Americans I stand with President Obama tonight on gun control - anyone standing with Republicans tonight are people I don't want to know. I very seldom use Facebook but I cleaned it out tonight of most people I knew from my time being an activist Republican. Who I have left on Facebook are friends not political types.

Harry Reid voted with the 45 ONLY so this can be brought back up at a later date. Many people forget that the leaders do that quite often if something doesn't past. Still doesn't let Reid off the hook for making a deal with Minority Leader McConnell on filibuster rules which was DOA with McConnell pulling a fast one on Reid. Cannot believe that Reid wasn't smart enough to know that McConnell and GOP cannot be trusted.

Once again we are witnessing the minority of Senators hold all the cards and a majority vote doesn't exist. Time to go back to the Constitution and nuke the filibuster because the GOP has abused the process over the last 4+ years. Bills cannot even come up for a vote and sometimes even get to the floor without the minority filibustering. The Republican Party minority are still obstructionists and don't listen to the American people as the Party of 'my way or no way' doesn't believe anyone but them knows what is best for us. When in reality all they do is vote how their wealthy puppet masters tell them to vote.

This email from Think Progress sums up what 91% of Americans are thinking tonight:

You’d think that more than 90 percent of the
American people and 55 senators — a majority — in favor of something would be
enough to get it done. You would be wrong. Late this afternoon, a minority of
senators “chose instead to obey the leaders of the powerful corporate gun lobby,
instead of their constituents,” as former Rep. Gabby Giffords and her husband
Mark Kelly said following the vote.

These 45 senators, most but not all of whom
were Republicans, voted
against a bipartisan compromise to expand background checks in order to keep
guns out of the hands of criminals and other dangerous people. 90 percent of
Democrats voted for expanding background checks, but 90 percent of Republicans
voted no. As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, today’s vote “handed
criminals a huge victory, by preserving their ability to buy guns illegally at
gun shows and online and keeping the illegal trafficking market well-fed.”

That wasn’t the end of it. A bipartisan plan to
crack down on gun trafficking — a
plan even the NRA agreed to — also failed to attract the necessary 60 votes.
A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, something
backed by a majority of Americans, was also voted down.
Worse yet, all of this happened as Newtown
families and other victims of gun violence looked on from the Senate gallery.
One woman, a survivor of the Tucson shooting, shouted
“shame on you!” after they watched senators vote down background checks.

Despite today’s setback, President Obama,
Newtown parents, and other gun violence prevention advocates vowed to continue
the fight to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them. In
fact, it’s time for all of us to redouble our commitment to action and let our
elected leaders know that there’s a price for ignoring 90 percent of us.

BOTTOM LINE: Every day that we
fail to pass comprehensive background checks is a day we put at risk the safety
of our children, our law enforcement, our neighbors—indeed, the safety of all
Americans. The price of the Senate’s inaction will be paid by the Americans
whose names will be added to the list of gun-violence victims every day as a
result.

We need to stand with The President and families who have gone through gun tragedies - now is the time to close these gun show loopholes and pass other legislation to start to get a handle on gun violence. Eight Republicans in the past who voted for gun control voted against simple background checks today.

Senator McCain once again has earned back his Maverick title along with Senators Toomey (PA), Collins (ME), and Kirk (IL) as they voted for the gun control bill. Five Democrats in red states voted NO on background checks - would bet since there were not enough votes to pass that Reid told them to vote with GOP to try and hold their seats.